Computer virus ravages e-mail network

The computer virus WORM_BAGLE.J began spreading itself around UR this week.Over the past few days, many students at UR received e-mails from addresses such as ‘support@rochester.edu,’ ‘staff@rochester.edu,’ ‘administration@rochester.edu,’ etc., claiming that there are problems with their accounts. The e-mail instructs the receiver to download and open a .zip file for more information on the situation. Doing so unleashes the virus onto the computer at hand.Many students fall for these tricks because the virus is very manipulative and borrows domain names, such as ‘@rochester.edu.'”For example, if it took ‘XYZ.com’ the virus would say it’s from ‘XYZ.com team’,” UNIX Consultant at the Information Technology Services Steve Song said. “It’s not university specific.”If there were really a problem with a student’s e-mail account, the notification would come from either ‘problem@mail.rochester.edu’ or ‘acct_adm@mail.rochester.edu.’ If a student is still unsure about the validity of an e-mail, ITS can be reached directly at extension x5-2000.Some students are avoiding the virus by staying aware of suspect e-mails. Junior Rachel Sill, an Evolution and Ecology Biology major, received eight e-mails supposedly from faculty at the university, and figured something was not right.”There were too many for it to be real,” Sill said. “They were all similar, but not exactly the same.” Sill’s suspicions stopped her from opening the attached files, and helped keep her computer virus-free.This common sense approach to e-mail has saved lots of students from infecting their computers, and in the meantime the university has taken steps to help ward off the virus. Virus scanners have been updated with the definition of the virus, but the infected e-mails include password-protected attachments which house the actual virus, preventing the scanners from being effective.”The message itself contains the password, so the user can type in the password and inflict the virus on themselves,” Song said.ITS has issued instructions and precautions on the mail.rochester.edu homepage as well as through flyers at ITS. Students are advised not to open the .zip files and to make sure that they have virus protection software installed on their computer. For those who do not have anti-virus programs, free software is available at http://www.infosec.rochester.edu/av/. Already, university virus scanners have begun to locate infected e-mails and delete attachments containing the virus.This recent bout of virus infections is a part of a “war” between the WORM_NETSKY, WORM_MYDOOM and WORM_BAGLE viruses, in which the viruses send encoded messages or “taunts” to each other.”That’s why in the last three or four days many new versions were let out,” Song said. “They try to compete with each other.”A removal walkthrough can be found at http://www.mcafee.com.Elton can be reached at telton@campustimes.org.